System for recording the condition of apparatus.



A. NICOL SYSTEM FOR RECORDING THE CONDITION OF APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-11.19M-

Patented Sept; 18, 1917.

WITNESSES T'rTTTTm/a JNYENTUR IUsUsr NIECZL UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

-AUG'UST NIGOL, OF NIEDER-SCHONHAUSEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR T0 GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

, SYSTEM FOR RECORDING THE CONDITION OF APPARATUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUsT NIooL, a subject of theKing of Prussia,residing at Nieder-Schonhausen, Germany, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Systems for Recording the Condition of Apparatus,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a system for recording the conditionofoperatingapparatus, and is particularly adapted to be employed inconnection withsynchronously operating devices, such, for example, as electric clocks.The object of my invention is to provide a system whereby the conditionof operation of an apparatus or a plurality of apparatus may beindicated at a convenient station so that an operator at such Stationcan tell how much apparatus is or are, as the case may be, operating. Myinvention is particularly useful in connection with synchronouslyoperating devices, such as electric clocks.

I In systems heretofore used for controlling in large clock systems theindividual secondary clocks for synchronous operation with a masterclock, complicated connections and transmitting apparatus have beennecessary.

. 'lVIoreover the devices heretofore employed are characterized by afurther disadvantage in that, while an indication is given when a clockoperates incorrectly, yet there is provided no means for determining thedegree of incorrectness ofsuch clock. My present invention provides asystem in which not .only the incorrect operation of the appara tus isindicated at a central station, but also one in which the degree ofincorrectness in such operation is also indicated and recorded.

The novel features which I believe to be characteristic of my inventionwill be definitely indicated in the claims appended here to. Thefeatures of construction and mode of operation will be understood byreference to the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention,andin which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the novelfeatures of my invention embodied in an electric clock, and Fig. 2 is adiagrammatic view showing :a modified construction of actuator for theSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 18, 1917.

Application filed February 11, 1913. Seria1No. 747,707.

trated an electric clock system having three secondary clocks I, II andIII controlled by and operated from a master clock A. The master clock Aoperates the secondary clocks I, II and III by current impulses sent outover the electric circuit 5 in the usual and well understood mannertherefor. As shown in the drawings, these current impulses are derivedfrom a battery 23, and are adapted to energize magnet coils 24 of eachsecondary clock, whereby the secondary clock mechanisms are actuated inthe usual manner. The current impulses may be produced at intervals ofone minute as is usually the case, or at any other desired intervals.

Each of the secondary clocks I, II and III is provided with an actuator6 by means of which an electric current of a definite period may be sentout over the circuit 5 to the central station where the master clock Ais located. As shown in Fig; 1 of the drawings, each actuator comprisesa circuit closer 7 and a circuit interrupter 8. The circuit closerofeach actuator is operated by a rotating disk 9 driven by the mechanismof its associated secondary clock.

In the construction illustrated in the drawings each dish 9 is providedwith a notched portion 10 with which the spring contact arm 11 of thecircuit closer cooperates. It will be apparent from the drawings thatwhen the arm 11 drops into its cooperating notch 10 that the circuitcloser completes a circuit through the circuit interrupter S. It will benoticed from the drawings that the operation of the circuit closer 7 isarranged to take place at different times so that no interference willbe occasioned by the simultaneous operation of the actuators of two ormore clocks.

The circuit interrupters illustrated in the drawings comprise anelectromagnet member which attracts an interrupting armature, andthereby interrupts the electric circuit. The number of periods orinterruptions of the electric circuit is adjusted by means of theoscillatory spring member 12. It will be understood that each circuitinterrupter is adjusted to send out over the electric circuit 5 currentsof different periods, that is, the interrupter for clock I will have adefinite factor of interruption, whereas the interrupter for clock 2will have a differ ent factor of interruption.

A recorder 13 is provided at the central station. This recordercomprises a time actuated record drum 14, which may have operativelysecured thereto the usual record sheet, and inoperative relation withsaid time actuated record drum a device 15 selectively responsive toelectric currents of different periods. This selectively responsivedevice is connected to the circuit 5 through a battery 16 and anelectromagnet circuit closer 17. I The circuit closer 17 has acooperating magnet coil 25 adapted to be energized when the currentimpulses controlled by the master clock are sent over the system.Normally the magnet coil 25 is unenergized and the circuit closer 17completes an electric circuit through the device 15. When the magnetcoil 25 is energized the circuit closer 17 operates to open this circuitduring the period that the current impulse is being sent over thesystem. The selectively responsive device 15 is provided with tongues,diagrammatically indicated by a reference character 18, which areadapted to impart a record on the time actuated record sheet when acurrent flows through the device 15 corresponding to the period forwhich the particular tongue is tuned to respond.

In operating my novel system the rotating disks 9 of each clock arearranged to operate the circuit closers 7 at a predetermined time, asindicated by the individual clocks. As previously mentioned,.thesepredetermined times are different for the different clocks. In thedrawings the circuit closer 7 of clock 2 is shown as just operated bythe disk 9. When the circuit closer 7 is thus operated current is sentthrough the interrupter 8, circuit 5 and the device 15 by means of thebattery 16. The interrupter 8 will oscillate at its predetermined periodand send the current of such period through .the device 15. Thereuponthe tongue 18 of this device which responds to this particular periodwill be vibrated and will impart a record on the registering cylinder orrecording drum 14. From the record which is thus imparted to the recordsheet the variance between the time as indicated by the secondary clockand the actual time as determined by the master clock can be determined,and thus the degree of incorrectness in the indication of the secondaryclock is readily obtained.

The coil 25 of the circuit closer 17 is similar in design to the coils24 and is energized to the degree necessary to attract its armaturewhenever the coils 24 are so energized. The circuit closer 17 thereforeoperates to cut the selectively responsive device 15 out of circuitwhenever the main current impulses for actuating the secondary clockmechanisms are being sent over the system. As indicated in the drawings,the battery 23 for actuating the secondary clock mechanisms isconsiderabl stronger than the battery 16 in the circult of the device15. The voltage of the battery 16 is not large enough to send a cur- (0rent through the coils 2 1 and 25 of sufiicient strength to energizethese coils to the degree necessary to attract their respectivecooperating armatures. It therefore f0 lows that the intermittentcurrent sent over the system by the closing of the circuit closer 7 ofany secondary clock is too weak to operatively energize the coils 24 and25.

In the example illustrated in the drawings it is assumed that anindication is given by the secondary clocks to the master clock onlyonce during the revolution of the disk 9. The system may obviously be sodesigned, however, that the indication is given at shorter intervals,for example, every onequarter hour. To this end it is only necessary toincrease the number of incisions or spring member 21 drops into thenotched I00 portion 20, the spring member is caused to vibrate accordingto a definite period as determined by the position of the weight 22. Inits vibration the spring member is ar- .ranged to periodically close thecircuit and 05 thus produce a current of characteristic period for thisparticular clock.

Although I have described my invention with particular reference to itsapplication to a system of electric clocks, it will be evident that theinvention is in no sense limited to this one application. On the otherhand,

my invention is adapted to be used in connection with any apparatuswherein it is, desired to indicate at a central station the 11 conditionof operation of such apparatus.

It will, of course, be evident that my invention is particularly adaptedto be used where it is desired to indicate the condition of operation ofa plurality of apparatus. I do not, therefore, desire to be limited tothe particular application and specific construction illustrated anddescribed, but aim in the a pended claims to cover my invention broadlyi and all modifications thereof. a

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is, 1. A system of the character described comprising aplurality of apparatus each of which has a movable element, meansnor-I30 mally operating to synchronously move each of said movableelements, an actuator having a circuit interrupter associated With eachapparatus and arranged to be operated when the synchronously movingelement of its associated apparatus occupies a predetermined positionthe circuit interrupters of the actuators being adjusted to oscillate atdifferent periods, a recorder hav ing a time actuated record sheet,means selectively responsive to electric currents of different periodsoperatively related to said record sheet, and means electricallyconnecting each actuator to said recorder.

2. A system of the character described comprising a plurality ofsecondary clocks, a master clock, means controlled by said master clockfor operating said secondary clocks, an actuator associated with eachsecondary clock, each actuator having a circuit closer operated by itssecondary clock mechanism, a circuit interrupter, the circuit closers ofthe diiferent actuators being arranged to normally operate at differenttimes and the circuit interrupters of different actuators being adjustedto oscillate at different periods, a recorder having a time actuatedrecord sheet, and means selectively responsive to electric currents ofdifi'erent periods operatively related to said record sheet, and meanselectrically connecting each actuator to said recorder.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day of:January, 1913.

AUGUST NIOOL.

WVitnesses Dr. ING. SonMmDnL, Dr. ING. B. OLDIGES.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0."

